Visit Faville Grove Sanctuary and witness a lost landscape returning to life.

Walk off-trail to experience the landscape as the Native Americans did. Get your feet wet in the prairies of the Crawfish River floodplain; sit in the shade of centuries-old bur oaks on outcroppings of pre-Cambrian quartzite bedrock; or stand in a dry, short-grass prairie and watch a harrier hunt over a floating bog of sphagnum, sedges and tamarack.Faville Grove is open to the public; come out and explore this unique sanctuary where rich history and biodiversity intersect.

We partner with the UW Arboretum to manage Faville Prairie, where the state endangered eastern white-fringed prairie orchid has a robust population

Photo by Emily Meier

Morning light at Faville Grove

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

Faville is home to many winged-creatures, like this Viceroy

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

Winter is a peaceful time to visit Faville Grove

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

A summer visit will reward you with fields of showy wildflowers

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

Tree swallow

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

Black-eyed Susans in bloom at Faville Grove

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

A male common yellowthroat shows off his bandit's mask

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

The Lake Mills Ledge is the eastern-most exposed portion of the ancient Baraboo Range

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

A peaceful morning at Faville Grove

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

Sunrise in the summer provides perfect light at Faville Grove

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

A perfectly peaceful winter day

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

Explore this pre-settlement landscape any time of year

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

Bald eagle in the snow

Photo by Jeff Pieterick

Faville Grove: a LEGACY OF CONSERVATION

Since establishing the sanctuary in 1998, Madison Audubon Society has acquired title to or permanent conservation easements on 675 acres of land at Faville Grove (pronounced FAY-vil), most of which is open to the public. In cooperation with neighboring landowners, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison Audubon is permanently protecting and restoring a total of nearly 1200 acres of diverse habitat in the area.

RETURNING A LOST LANDSCAPE TO LIFE

The landscape of south-central Wisconsin has been so thoroughly transformed since European settlement that it is difficult for most to imagine its original diversity, productivity and beauty. By the 1930s when Aldo Leopold began working on wildlife management with local farmers in the area north of Lake Mills known as Faville Grove, he and his students found a fragmented landscape and decimated or declining wildlife populations where the Native Americans had found bounty beyond description. Today, Madison Audubon has made tremendous progress bringing this diverse and captivating landscape of wetlands and uplands, of prairies, savannas and woodlands back to life.

An overview: The landscapes of Faville Grove

Our series of videos from Faville Grove Sanctuary provide a snapshot of the unique landscapes you'll find at our beautiful Jefferson County Sanctuary.

OVERVIEW

Faville Grove is ready for you to explore; come visit each of the unique habitats found on these 670 acres.